Analyst Predicts Apple Netbooks for Macworld 2009

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Analyst Predicts Apple Netbooks for Macworld 2009

An analyst is betting Apple will introduce a pair of netbooks inJanuary, even though Steve Jobs just two months ago said he wasn't ready to.

"I don't have any inside information," said EzraGottheil, a Technology Business Research analyst, in an interview withComputerworld. "This is just by triangulation."

Gottheil backs his speculation by noting the declining state of the economy as well as the booming success of inexpensive netbooks. These factors combined will force Apple to introduce a netbook as soon as January at MacworldExpo in San Francisco, Gottheil says.

However, Gottheil's guess comes as nothing new. Using the same reasoning (i.e., the collapsing economy and the low cost of netbooks), some analysts were predicting that Apple would unveil a netbook at its special notebook event inOctober. But Jobs proved them wrong when he introduced only a refresh for the MacBook family and a new LED cinema display.

Jobs even explicitly said during an October earnings call that he [felt the netbook category was too "nascent"](https://www.wired.com/gadgets/2008/10/apple-has-inter.html "felt the netbook category was too "nascent"") for Apple.

"We'll wait and see how that nascent category evolves, and we've got some pretty interesting ideas if it does," said Jobs, during a question-and-answer session.

While it's true Jobs doesn't rule out the possibility of an Apple netbook in the future, I would consider that quote as hinting at plans farther down the line – not as soon asJanuary. Jobs is a tricky man, but releasing Mac netbooks just two months after saying he isn't ready to would make the CEO come off as a liar.

The rumors have been quiet about what exactly Apple's major launch will be at Macworld Expo. The only solid idea we have forMacworld is that a new Mac Mini is coming, according to an Apple corporate employee who contacted Wired.com. But that hardly sounds exciting enough to be the big item of the event.

So what's going to be the highlight of the show? Your guess is as good as ours (and Gottheil's). We'll continue to dig around and see what we can come up with.